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Beno
14th January 2006, 00:49
Hi all....first post..., but I have been a viewer for a while....
Learn't a heap so far from this site, from buying a bike...gear...tips on riding, & I thought it was time to give back a bit and to stir up a bit of thought.

So if you have any advice....tips....experiences that might help your fellow newbie to improve their technique or prevent "OH SHIT" moments then feel free...

I thought I would contribute a couple....please dont laugh as they probably seem pretty obvious...but to me they were "OH SHIT" moments

STRAPS!...I ride with a lot of gear and dont have a pack rack so its a matter of strapping it to the pillion or my back....one day I left the waist strap of my backpack undone and picture this...half way down the north western in rush hour (my saviour-slow traffic) and I felt a tugging and gnawing feeling at my side, I was quick to grab at the strap and found it chomped by the chain!!...yes not a nice thought!!...common sence I know! but dont FORGET.

LACES!...I know, I have a thing for thin material.
I know I should wear boots but on this occasion....Comming to a stop I went to put my foot down and my lace got caught on the gear leaver and I almost landed on my face....lucky escape and it unhooked in time, so if you do wear shoes push the laces down the sides of your shoes so this wont catch you out.

Plenty more from where that came from....

Share your stories and help us all out...

Always learning....

Sniper
14th January 2006, 07:23
OFC corners. Do a search on Biffs thread. This one (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=17013&highlight=Corners)
Welcome to the site BTW

crashe
14th January 2006, 08:48
Welcome to KB....


Yep, it does pay to make sure all the straps on a backpack are secure and not flapping around...


Take care and ride safe out there on the roads.

zadok
14th January 2006, 09:46
Welcome to K.B Beno. Fortunately I don't really have too much in the way of bad experinces on my bikes over the years. Two instances of oil on the road have left me going for a spill, with little damage to myself, fortunately.

Gremlin
14th January 2006, 17:05
hmmm... never ever divert concentration from the road... two off's taught me that.

On roads you know well (maybe even roundabouts) practice running wide on a corner, panicking, then dropping it into the corner. A learners automatic instinct is to grab a handful of front brake, which will only make things a lot worse.

One of the off's above taught me that, and the rider behind saying I was an idiot, and he was waiting for me just to drop it into the corner.

Practicing that saved me when a corner disappeared on me, dropped it in, and came out fine.:msn-wink:

Beemer
19th January 2006, 13:18
LACES!...I know, I have a thing for thin material.
I know I should wear boots but on this occasion... Coming to a stop I went to put my foot down and my lace got caught on the gear leaver and I almost landed on my face... lucky escape and it unhooked in time, so if you do wear shoes, push the laces down the sides of your shoes so this won't catch you out.

Best advice is not to wear shoes under any circumstances - especially if you have boots! Shoes will not offer much protection if you come off - and you're not the first person I've heard of to have an incident with laces!

Motu
19th January 2006, 16:51
In a similar vein - don't wear flares either,they get caught in footpegs and dump you on the ground at traffic lights when all the wrong people are watching.

Flares?? Well,you see,once apon a time.....

MSTRS
19th January 2006, 16:54
In a similar vein - don't wear flares either,they get caught in footpegs and dump you on the ground at traffic lights when all the wrong people are watching.

Flares?? Well,you see,once apon a time.....
'sokay if you do it with flair tho:shifty:

Ixion
19th January 2006, 19:22
In a similar vein - don't wear flares either,they get caught in footpegs and dump you on the ground at traffic lights when all the wrong people are watching.

Flares?? Well,you see,once apon a time.....

Doesn't need to be flares. The innate malevolence of kickstart levers is such that they wil dive up any trouser leg. You can tell an old time biker, he lifts his leg up and out when stopping, to clear the kickstart lever.

And winklepickers and gearlevers just DO NOT go together

(Winklepickers ?? - Well, you see, once upon a time...)

Will
19th January 2006, 19:50
Do high heels count like winklepickers?.

Well, once upon a time...when I was young...and commuting on my trail bike...

Didn't come off or anything. It's just when I think back, :doh:

Also used to wear a skirt too.

Must've caused lotsa near misses as all those male drivers oggled, waiting to see what might happen.:whistle:

Never did:innocent:

Now I'm a bornagain, and I wear solid footwear and clothing

merv
19th January 2006, 20:59
Advice: just don't crash, it could hurt and you might scratch the bike.

FROSTY
29th January 2006, 23:28
ride like they all wanna kill ya --cos the probably doo

skidMark
29th January 2006, 23:40
treat every other road user as an idiot.... because they usually are

.produKt
1st February 2006, 17:05
Yes yes!!
Age old advice. treat everyone else like they are SEVERLY retarded and its contageuos (bah spelling)

I should share my moped expieriences :)
Despite temptation dont ever do this

Ride with one foot (your left) on the right peg while leaning the bike so far left that yourve just removed those lil rubber spikes from the tyres manfuacturing process xD.

Sounds crazy and ive done it. since it was a crappy chinese moped (the ones where the frame welds crack if you drop it 1cm) i didnt particularly care about it :E..

Oh i didnt come off, but it was a lotta fun :niceone:

mstriumph
1st February 2006, 17:26
Doesn't need to be flares. The innate malevolence of kickstart levers is such that they wil dive up any trouser leg. You can tell an old time biker, he lifts his leg up and out when stopping, to clear the kickstart lever.

And winklepickers and gearlevers just DO NOT go together

(Winklepickers ?? - Well, you see, once upon a time...)

and platform shoes ....... [yeah - once upon ...etc. etc.]:blink:

Colapop
1st February 2006, 17:38
And don't ride with a Bat-man cape.... I was late ok?

Roki_nz
3rd February 2006, 17:41
Here is my two cents won't save your life but will save you money. when parking your bike first make sure its nice and secure i.e. its not likely to fall over and then put it into first gear do this no matter what it reduces the risk of it falling over when you walk away forgot to put it into gear on monday walked away to get my helemet and gloves and come back FUCK!!! its fallen over just cracked one of the fairings bent the wind sheild out of place and bent the gear change level god it was annoying

Insanity_rules
13th February 2006, 12:06
Hey there,
I'm a noob too but got a couple of hardway lessons,

1) Dont ride straight away after Armour alling your seat and hit the brakes hard lest thy crotch should answer for it. Jeez that one really crossed my eyes.

2) Always make sure that your stand has connected with the ground properlly before getting off, as the style points you lose by dismounting on a cool bike and dropping it between your legs can't be regained easily.

Hope that helps

Str8 Jacket
13th February 2006, 12:29
CONCENTRATE on your riding at all times! Not the scenary..... Barrier poles have a way of sneaking up on you when your not concentrating properly!
Watch the road surfaces and your following distances too!!

Kornholio
13th February 2006, 13:25
Stay within your limits until you are uberracer like Boomer, then you go like fuck :P

Dreamer
13th February 2006, 13:35
My embarrassing story from yesterday: wasn't looking in my mirrors often enough and didn't hear the sirens of the fire engine up my arse until it honked to get me off the road. So I have a new respect for mirrors AND fire engines.

Rosie
14th February 2006, 07:23
Hey there,
2) Always make sure that your stand has connected with the ground properlly before getting off, as the style points you lose by dismounting on a cool bike and dropping it between your legs can't be regained easily.


You can try saying something witty like "Gosh, the ground wasn't where I thought it was" (this came from a rather experienced rider who managed to drop the bike we were both sitting on. I stepped off ok, he ended up on the ground with the bike. Very funny. In hindsight)

sefer
14th February 2006, 16:11
If you disconnect something from your bike (oh lets say the gear lever) make sure you remember to tighten the thing up properly before you ride again! :D

Dreamer
16th February 2006, 07:24
Last night's embarassing story: slow speed, side of the road, gravel, gutter. Yip dropped it. Just coming to a stop and the front wheel went into the gutter on an angle, twisted and rolled the whole thing over. I stayed on my feet and I now have an adjustable rear vision mirror (it was siezed up). So all good. And the moral I learnt: slow sucks, faster is better.

axe
17th February 2006, 13:32
Dont get court having a pillion on your bike no l plate and doing more than 70 k can be very hard on the pocket

terbang
17th February 2006, 19:02
Remember its whats between your ears that counts..!

Nicksta
17th February 2006, 22:30
always ride at your own pace... if your riding with others, dont try to keep up... if they get ahead... let them go.... know your capabilities.... and stick to them... this will help minimise your "oh sh*t" moments... (and in some cases repair bills)

boomer
20th February 2006, 20:55
Stay within your limits until you are uberracer like Boomer, then you go like fuck :P

But in all fairness Rik, the Playstations a bit different huh?!! :yeah:

madboy
20th February 2006, 21:12
Yeah I heard Dreamer likes it hard and fast.

When/if you upgrade to a bike with twice as much horsepower, don't lean into the first corner on cold tyres and whack open the throttle.

Ride in whatever gear you like. Shorts and T are fine if you want to wear them - I do. Just like full leathers/back protector are equally fine if you want to wear them - I do too. But when you drop it, you'll be really really glad you did have that hot bulky uncomfortable gear on. The boots will mean a sprain rather than a break, a limp is better than crutches. And you'll be showing everyone the cool scuff marks on your pants rather than the flesh where your skin was. Alternatively, don't whack open the throttle with cold tyres on your new more powerful bike...

Kornholio
20th February 2006, 21:12
So you still going to give me some riding tips this Saturday Boomer around Coro... I need to up my game :D

boomer
20th February 2006, 21:26
could be a runner for saturday :)


I'm a noob and heres my pick;

Laces and my desert shoes have a card board insert inside at the heel and they often wedge into the gaurd and make it very tricky getting the foot down.

Slow in slow out.. oops thats just for HOnda riders.. all other riders can use
Slow in fast out or fast in fast out !!

Don't try and keep up with someone who rides faster than you cos you think your slowing them Down... Fatal mistake. Unless your a hondah rider in which case accept your never gonna ride with anyone.

Assume nothing; Ride with people you can trust and learn from them

Ignore everything i've said.. i own a HonDUH!

metric
20th February 2006, 22:38
STRAPS!...I ride with a lot of gear and dont have a pack rack so its a matter of strapping it to the pillion or my back....one day I left the waist strap of my backpack undone and picture this...half way down the north western in rush hour (my saviour-slow traffic) and I felt a tugging and gnawing feeling at my side, I was quick to grab at the strap and found it chomped by the chain!!...yes not a nice thought!!...common sence I know! but dont FORGET.

well, yeah I did have a rack pack - however in my haste to get to work on time in the morning I didn't do the straps up, so I arrived at work with no pack rack on the back of my bike.

shite.

remember to do the straps up.